Since
the beginning, Darwin's theory was attacked by his contemporary
fellows, but this book tried to take this to a whole other level,
building on a story which, supposedly, shows us the naturalist's
darker side. Darnton made a bold choice by giving us this unique
vision of the man who changed the way we see the world.
Avoiding Boredom
Throughout
the book, the story is being told under 3 different points of view,
each with their own mysteries. We accompany the H.M.S. Beagle's trip,
with the young Charles Darwin on board, aswell as through his
daughter Bessie's journals, his older years, and finally the journey
of two modern investigators and their discoveries. All this is
interwoven in a very curious and effective manner.
The
narrative could perhaps become dense or tedious at some points, so
this "voice changing" in the book is certainly a welcome
addition and tends to help the reader keep their attention and
interest. In my opinion, the author managed to balance both rich
narrative depth and the reader's entertainment in a very interesting
way, giving our investigators a life's story which is also a point of
interest, despite the fact that it does not contribute to the main
plot.
History Vs Story
The
way the book is written makes us think twice about all the facts we
don't really know or have about our history (as a species or a
particular civilization) and face historical characters, their lives
and stories from a different perspective, from here on questioning
ourselves about who they really were (other than their legend).
The Author's Mission
I
believe the author tried to get us to question what is real and
fiction in his story, and maybe, raise the interest in a real
Darwin's biography. John Darnton achieves this particular marriage of
history and fiction in a very harmonious way.
📝 If you enjoy books that blend reality and fiction, consider exploring Malinche.
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